Being in a state of career (and thus, income) flux, my interest in clever, handy, and frugal household hints has grown recently, which coincided nicely with Witchypoo's idea for a household hints meme. Even those of us who do not aspire to be the next Suzie or Sammy Homemaker probably have a few ingenious ideas to make running our lives a little simpler, cheaper, or easier.
I'm offering up three tips of my own, and ask you to chip in as well, either in the comments or on your own blog.
1. If you find your kitchen infested with fruit flies, first get rid of the source - that old banana or an innocent-looking houseplant or a neglected potato in the pantry. Then put a little apple cider vinegar in a jar, put on the lid, and poke holes in it. The flies will be attracted to the vinegar and make their way through the holes. Those that don't drown themselves, won't be able to make their way back out through the holes and will be trapped.
2. To save on water, whether you want to reduce your bills, your demand on natural resources, or both, keep buckets in the bathroom and the kitchen. While you're waiting for the tap water to heat up, run the water into the bucket and use it to water plants.
3. This one was The Husband's genius idea. A nine-inch round cake pan, with a little bit of a lip around the edge, will fit over the top of a six-quart saucepan to create a double boiler. We used this makeshift double boiler to make candy for Christmas presents.
Bonus tip: Make your own candy for easy, inexpensive, homemade gifts. For example, peppermint bark is just melted white chocolate with crushed peppermints and a few drops of peppermint oil mixed in. Spread the mixture into a cookie sheet, let it cool, and then break it into pieces.
Bonus bonus tip: When melting chocolate it is very important not to let even one drop of water get into the chocolate or it will turn into a grainy, sticky mess.
Bonus bonus bonus tip: Check out Home Ec 101 for lots of ideas from people way better at this housekeeping stuff than I am.
Now I'm supposed to tag some people.
Greeneagles, because I suspect he's a closet metrosexual and probably has a really good tip for getting Bearnaise sauce stains out of silk or something like that.
Holly because she's managed to keep a child in one piece for more than eleven years running.
Traivor because I bet he's a whiz in the kitchen.
Sealegs Sophie McPhearson (whose blog is evidently set on private) because her house always seems to be clean despite her four furry roommates.
Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts
Monday, January 21, 2008
Saturday, December 01, 2007
Eat Yer Veggies
This post at Pandagon inspired me to try to include more fresh produce in my diet. I really don't have any excuse not to, especially considering the challenges so many people face in getting any kind of decent food at all. (Uncharacteristically, I jumped into the fray at the Pandagon post close to the end of the comments. Feel free to go over there and back me up or tell me I'm full of it.)
However, I'm always in need of tasty, uncomplicated vegetable recipes. I hope you'll post your favorites in the comments. In the spirit of reciprocity, I'll share some of mine here.
Garlicky Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes and Basil
(from Cooking Light)
We made this last summer with tomatoes and basil from our back yard garden. It was just heaven.
3 tbsp. extravirgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
5 cups (about 2 lbs.) chopped plum tomatoes (We just used a hodge podge of tomatoes since we grew a couple different kinds.)
6 cups (about 12 oz. uncooked pasta) hot cooked campanella (or other twisty-ish shape of pasta)
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add minced garlic; saute 30 seconds. Add chopped tomatoes; cook for 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally. Add pasta, basil, salt, and pepper, tossing gently to combine. Serves 6.
The recipe also calls for 1/4 cup (1 oz.) of grated fresh Parmesan cheese to be added to the tomatoes along with the pasta, basil, salt, and pepper, but I like to cook vegan whenever possible. I certainly didn't miss the cheese.
Sesame Kale
My favorites for this recipe are beet greens or chard. You could also use collard greens, mustard greens, spinach, or kale. Just be sure to adjust your cooking time depending on how tough your greens are and how tender you prefer them.
1 pound greens
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 large garlic clove, minced
3/4 cup of water
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 tbsp cider vinegar
Wash the greens in a sink filled with cold water. Drain greens and wash a second time. Drain greens and remove any heavy stems. Tear leaves into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
In a 3 qt saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions, cook 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions soften and start to brown. Stir in garlic.
Add water to the hot pan, stirring to loosen any particles from bottom of pan. Stir in sugar and red pepper. Continue cooking until mixture boils.
Add greens, reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes or more depending on desired tenderness of greens. Stir in vinegar. Serves 2-4 depending on how much you like greens.
(Adapted from Simply Recipes)
Of course a major reason why so many people don't include fresh produce in their meals is lack of access. Poor urban neighborhoods may not have any grocery stores selling produce, so people have to find transportation to shop for fruits and vegetables. Fresh produce is too expensive for tight budgets to bear. Also, some people don't have the capacity to store perishable items.
Often, I'm just too lazy to plan for meals, so I've come up with a few recipes that require few or no perishable items, but still feature plenty of vegetables.
(The following recipes are a little sketchier than the ones above because I mostly made them up as I went along. I'll try to include all the relevant details, but just let me know if I left out anything vital.)
Tomato Florentine Soup
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1 large carrot, sliced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
4 cups vegetable broth (I usually use a powdered mix)
2 can diced tomatoes, undrained (I use salt free)
10 oz. package of frozen spinach, thawed
1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp marjoram
Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and carrot, and saute until soft. Add garlic, and stir for 30 seconds.
Add broth, tomatoes, spinach, beans, and spices. Simmer 15 minutes. Salt to taste.
Lemony Spinach and Brown Rice
2 tsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup cooked brown rice (I use instant, prepared according to directions on package)
10 oz. package of frozen spinach, cooked according to directions on package
3/4 tsp lemon pepper
1/2 tsp dill
1 can mushrooms, drained
Saute the garlic over medium heat in the olive oil for 30-60 seconds. Then mix all the other ingredients together. Stir for a few minutes until everything is well mixed and heated through.
Super Easy Vegetable Soup
Open a bunch of canned vegetables. Pour them in a pot. Heat them up. Add some salt and pepper.
My usual mixture includes
(don't drain the following)
2 cans chopped tomatoes
1 can French cut green beans
1 can carrots
1 can mushrooms
1 can corn (maybe)
1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
A handful of whole wheat macaroni
1 tbsp vegetable broth powder
As much water as necessary to create the desired degree of soupiness.
Season with dill, dried basil, black pepper, garlic salt. Add a shot of lemon juice if you have it.
If you try any of these recipes, I hope you'll let me know how they turn out. Also, please share your favorite veggie recipes.
However, I'm always in need of tasty, uncomplicated vegetable recipes. I hope you'll post your favorites in the comments. In the spirit of reciprocity, I'll share some of mine here.
Garlicky Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes and Basil
(from Cooking Light)
We made this last summer with tomatoes and basil from our back yard garden. It was just heaven.
3 tbsp. extravirgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
5 cups (about 2 lbs.) chopped plum tomatoes (We just used a hodge podge of tomatoes since we grew a couple different kinds.)
6 cups (about 12 oz. uncooked pasta) hot cooked campanella (or other twisty-ish shape of pasta)
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add minced garlic; saute 30 seconds. Add chopped tomatoes; cook for 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally. Add pasta, basil, salt, and pepper, tossing gently to combine. Serves 6.
The recipe also calls for 1/4 cup (1 oz.) of grated fresh Parmesan cheese to be added to the tomatoes along with the pasta, basil, salt, and pepper, but I like to cook vegan whenever possible. I certainly didn't miss the cheese.
Sesame Kale
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound kale (about bunch)
2 teaspoons sesame seed oil
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
Salt and pepper if desired
Mince the garlic cloves. Wash the kale and shake it over the sink. It should remain a little wet. Remove and discard the stems from the kale and tear it into bite-size pieces. Save the stems for another use, such as vegetable stock.
Heat the sesame seed oil in the skillet over medium-low heat. Add the minced garlic to the hot oil and saute for about 20 seconds. Add the kale and water to the garlic and oil, and cover the skillet.
After 1 minute, stir the kale, then re-cover. After 1-2 more minutes, when the kale is wilted, stir in the soy sauce and sesame seeds. If desired, add salt and/or pepper to taste.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.
Sweet and Sour GreensMy favorites for this recipe are beet greens or chard. You could also use collard greens, mustard greens, spinach, or kale. Just be sure to adjust your cooking time depending on how tough your greens are and how tender you prefer them.
1 pound greens
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 large garlic clove, minced
3/4 cup of water
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 tbsp cider vinegar
Wash the greens in a sink filled with cold water. Drain greens and wash a second time. Drain greens and remove any heavy stems. Tear leaves into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
In a 3 qt saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions, cook 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions soften and start to brown. Stir in garlic.
Add water to the hot pan, stirring to loosen any particles from bottom of pan. Stir in sugar and red pepper. Continue cooking until mixture boils.
Add greens, reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes or more depending on desired tenderness of greens. Stir in vinegar. Serves 2-4 depending on how much you like greens.
(Adapted from Simply Recipes)
Of course a major reason why so many people don't include fresh produce in their meals is lack of access. Poor urban neighborhoods may not have any grocery stores selling produce, so people have to find transportation to shop for fruits and vegetables. Fresh produce is too expensive for tight budgets to bear. Also, some people don't have the capacity to store perishable items.
Often, I'm just too lazy to plan for meals, so I've come up with a few recipes that require few or no perishable items, but still feature plenty of vegetables.
(The following recipes are a little sketchier than the ones above because I mostly made them up as I went along. I'll try to include all the relevant details, but just let me know if I left out anything vital.)
Tomato Florentine Soup
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1 large carrot, sliced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
4 cups vegetable broth (I usually use a powdered mix)
2 can diced tomatoes, undrained (I use salt free)
10 oz. package of frozen spinach, thawed
1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp marjoram
Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and carrot, and saute until soft. Add garlic, and stir for 30 seconds.
Add broth, tomatoes, spinach, beans, and spices. Simmer 15 minutes. Salt to taste.
Lemony Spinach and Brown Rice
2 tsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup cooked brown rice (I use instant, prepared according to directions on package)
10 oz. package of frozen spinach, cooked according to directions on package
3/4 tsp lemon pepper
1/2 tsp dill
1 can mushrooms, drained
Saute the garlic over medium heat in the olive oil for 30-60 seconds. Then mix all the other ingredients together. Stir for a few minutes until everything is well mixed and heated through.
Super Easy Vegetable Soup
Open a bunch of canned vegetables. Pour them in a pot. Heat them up. Add some salt and pepper.
My usual mixture includes
(don't drain the following)
2 cans chopped tomatoes
1 can French cut green beans
1 can carrots
1 can mushrooms
1 can corn (maybe)
1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
A handful of whole wheat macaroni
1 tbsp vegetable broth powder
As much water as necessary to create the desired degree of soupiness.
Season with dill, dried basil, black pepper, garlic salt. Add a shot of lemon juice if you have it.
If you try any of these recipes, I hope you'll let me know how they turn out. Also, please share your favorite veggie recipes.
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Super Walmart for the Well-to-Do
The Husband and I made a trip to the new, ginormous Whole Foods last night down on the corner of Forest and Preston across the street from the old, unnormous Whole Foods. Overall, I give it a resounding, “meh.”
Usually when we go to Whole Foods, we head there right after work and have dinner from the little deli dealio before we shop. The little deli dealio offered prepared foods that you could buy by the pound and take home and put in your own dishes and pretend like you cooked it. Or, the person behind the counter would make a plate for you and heat it up in their crappy microwave, and you could eat it in the store.
I enjoyed this. The counter person was always friendly and patient and helpful. Most of the time, they gave you your food on a real plate with real, reusable silverware. Well, the new Whole Foods has a “hot food bar” where you dish out your food yourself onto a paper plate. I was open to this new procedure, despite my issues with change and the anxiety it provokes. And, I have to admit that the “hot food bar” had its advantages.
However, when we went to the seating area and got our silverware, I found that they only had plastic forks individually wrapped in plastic. Does this not seem like it should be against everything Whole Foods stands for? I really started to feel like they had sold out to the Central Market crowd.
Compounding my silverware dread was the crowded, hectic, loud atmosphere. I found myself having to tamp down a rising panic. There was just too much noise, too many hyper children, too much too much. But then, I noticed a woman carrying a music stand approach a staff member who was sitting nearby and tell her that it was time. Suddenly, most of the people began to drift away and the noise died down. I could see that several of the children were carrying instrument cases.
It turns out that they were all heading upstairs to a balcony overlooking the store to play Christmas music. Oh, they were terrible – out of tune and off tempo. But, it was also very charming, and once the tension of all those children waiting for the concert to start had dissipated, I could feel myself relaxing. It’s amazing how people’s emotions can fill a room and affect those around them.
Once we finished eating and started our shopping, I realized that the store isn’t really all that different. It had most of the same stuff we always bought, PLUS some things we used to buy but had disappeared from the old store. Like organic, all-natural, bleach-free pads – with wings! And Veat – the only meat analog product The Husband likes to eat! Not just Veat, but the bite-sized Veat, which tastes way better than the nuggets for some reason!
The rediscovery of Veat means we can start making one of our favorite, easiest recipes again – Veat Stew. Basically, you take a butt-load of minced garlic and sauté it in a butt-load of olive oil. Then you put in a can of diced tomatoes, some sliced green olives (with pimentos), and half a box of Veat. Then, spoon it over quick-cooking brown rice. Sounds weird, but it’s tasty and fast, which is better than gourmet as far as I’m concerned.
Anyway, some of the new features included a dessert bar and cases and cases full of beautiful chocolates and pastries, a New York deli, and a spa. Yes, a spa. I did not venture upstairs to investigate the spa situation; however, I heard a rumor today that Whole Foods will have someone do your grocery shopping for you while you spa. I couldn't even bring myself to splurge on the shoulder massages they offered in a dark corner of the old Whole Foods, so I probably won't be having a servant-boy pick out my organic beet greens while I get a facial anytime soon.
Usually when we go to Whole Foods, we head there right after work and have dinner from the little deli dealio before we shop. The little deli dealio offered prepared foods that you could buy by the pound and take home and put in your own dishes and pretend like you cooked it. Or, the person behind the counter would make a plate for you and heat it up in their crappy microwave, and you could eat it in the store.
I enjoyed this. The counter person was always friendly and patient and helpful. Most of the time, they gave you your food on a real plate with real, reusable silverware. Well, the new Whole Foods has a “hot food bar” where you dish out your food yourself onto a paper plate. I was open to this new procedure, despite my issues with change and the anxiety it provokes. And, I have to admit that the “hot food bar” had its advantages.
However, when we went to the seating area and got our silverware, I found that they only had plastic forks individually wrapped in plastic. Does this not seem like it should be against everything Whole Foods stands for? I really started to feel like they had sold out to the Central Market crowd.
Compounding my silverware dread was the crowded, hectic, loud atmosphere. I found myself having to tamp down a rising panic. There was just too much noise, too many hyper children, too much too much. But then, I noticed a woman carrying a music stand approach a staff member who was sitting nearby and tell her that it was time. Suddenly, most of the people began to drift away and the noise died down. I could see that several of the children were carrying instrument cases.
It turns out that they were all heading upstairs to a balcony overlooking the store to play Christmas music. Oh, they were terrible – out of tune and off tempo. But, it was also very charming, and once the tension of all those children waiting for the concert to start had dissipated, I could feel myself relaxing. It’s amazing how people’s emotions can fill a room and affect those around them.
Once we finished eating and started our shopping, I realized that the store isn’t really all that different. It had most of the same stuff we always bought, PLUS some things we used to buy but had disappeared from the old store. Like organic, all-natural, bleach-free pads – with wings! And Veat – the only meat analog product The Husband likes to eat! Not just Veat, but the bite-sized Veat, which tastes way better than the nuggets for some reason!
The rediscovery of Veat means we can start making one of our favorite, easiest recipes again – Veat Stew. Basically, you take a butt-load of minced garlic and sauté it in a butt-load of olive oil. Then you put in a can of diced tomatoes, some sliced green olives (with pimentos), and half a box of Veat. Then, spoon it over quick-cooking brown rice. Sounds weird, but it’s tasty and fast, which is better than gourmet as far as I’m concerned.
Anyway, some of the new features included a dessert bar and cases and cases full of beautiful chocolates and pastries, a New York deli, and a spa. Yes, a spa. I did not venture upstairs to investigate the spa situation; however, I heard a rumor today that Whole Foods will have someone do your grocery shopping for you while you spa. I couldn't even bring myself to splurge on the shoulder massages they offered in a dark corner of the old Whole Foods, so I probably won't be having a servant-boy pick out my organic beet greens while I get a facial anytime soon.
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